Laboratory Housekeeping

After several people were injured on site because previous work and clutter had not been properly cleaned up,
in January of 2010 Brookhaven Lab began focusing on good housekeeping as a way to ensure a safer work environment.

In Bldg 490 a large cleanup project began to remove unused/antiquated equipment, debris and outdated supplies.
An example of the before and after is below:

	Before		After

Keeping things clean and organized helps provide a safer laboratory. Keep drawers and cabinet doors closed and electrical cords off the floor to avoid tripping hazards. Keep aisles clear of obstacles such as boxes, chemical containers, and other storage items that might be put there even temporarily. Avoid slipping hazards by cleaning up spilled liquids promptly and keeping the floor free of stirring rods, pipette tips, stoppers, and other such items. Never block or even partially block the path to an exit or to safety equipment such as a emergency eyewash or safety shower.

Make sure that supplies and equipment on shelves provide sufficient clearance so that fire sprinkler heads operate correctly. There shall not be any storage within 18 inches of a sprinkler head. Do not put large or heavy objects on shelves above eye level.

Put ordinary wastepaper in your blue recycling bin. Needles, razor blades and other sharp items shall be disposed of in rigid, puncture-resistant sharps containers. When discarding empty boxes or recycling empty glass chemical containers bearing hazardous materials labels, the labels shall be defaced or removed before disposal.

If you have any questions on how to manage a particular waste stream, you can find information at: http://www.bnl.gov/ewms/pollutionpreve/WasteStream/

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Last Modified: May 26, 2010
Please forward all questions about this site to: Denise Monteleone

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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